Coupling.



. "T. W. CHRISTIAN.

COUPLING.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 11 1908.

91 1,645. Patented Feb-9, 1909.

WILTI EE ES: Im/E EEI m -w N 1311135 UNITED s'm'rns nrnn'r orr es rnonlis w. CHRISTIAN,

or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

courmne Specification 01 Letters Patent.

Application filed May 11, 1908. Serial No. 432,108.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THonAs V. CHRIS- TIAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Couplings, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to couplings, particularly to such as are used for coupling together rods or'pipes used in conduit work, and the object of my invention is to produce a coupling of simple desigm which at the same time is very efiicient.

As conduit pipe is rodded from manholes which are usually of comparatively small diameter, it is very important that the coupling be of such designthat its members can readily be broughttogcther for coupling engagement with the rods almost at a right angle to each other so that it will not be necessary to use short IOClS'Wll'll the consequent multiplication of couplings.

The coupling in my invention is so designed that the parts can be brought to gether with the rods practically at right angles to each other, and immediately when the coupling members are brought together they are ready to transmit movement of-the one red to the rod already within the conduit pipe. -Provisionis made so thatfthe couplings will resist torsional strains.

In the accompanying drawings which illus-' trate my invention-Figure 1 is anelevation view showing the two members locked together, part of the conduit rods being shown.

. Fig. 2 is an elevation viewshowing the coupling heads after having just been brought together. Fig. 3 is a top view of one coupling member. Fig. 4 is'a top view'of'the companion coupling member. Fig. '5 is an elevation view of the coupling member" shown in Fig. 3, and Fig. 6 is an elevationsleeve for the reduced end? of'a cbn'duit rod I 8, pins 9 and 10 passing through the slee meters; 9- we. I i' and rod; serving to secure therodj to the" coupling member. To give greaterstrength;.

1 1 these pins are at right angles to e ach' otheifll as shown. The other coupl ngmember coni prises the head part 11, from whoa; inner" face extend the hook members12'andil'l terminating in hook ends 14 'an'cl'lSj thesehook ends being substantially parallel-to the head part. A neck 16 "extends froin the other face ofthe head and head-being cored out. The c'o'red neck] .forms asleeving for receivingtlie reduced'en'd I 17 of a conduit rod'18, pinsj19"and 20 at right angles to each other sci-ting to hold the rod in place.

Extending between the liook'me'mb ers fand from'the inner face of the'head 11 is th'ejwc'b -or wall 21 for engaging in' the. guidewav 2'2 between hook frames'2 and 3. the dther coupling member. Whenthe members are brought together, usually at an angle with each other, the web 21 is inserted in the slot J 22, the'hook ends of the'applied coupling member, being thereby guided" into engagement with the hook end's'of the other mem-" her, and upon such engagement th'efmembers can be rotated. to position to bring the con-" nected rods in line. The web 21 acts both as a guiding means and for taking'up' the torsional strains. members 12 and 13am carfld'don'n along the web 21' toforrn walls 23am 2%, which with the hook ends 14 and '15 form pock'ets The bases of the hook" 25 and 26 for receiving the hook ends land 5 of'the other coupling member. When the members are coupled together, as shown in Fig, 1, the frontedge ofthe' against the inner face of the head 1.

The bases :0 hook frames 2 and a me u surface of head. 1,?

continuation of the outer web 21 rests and the upper edges of the hook frames slope l upwardly from the bas'e of the hook ends toward the top head 1, giving thus great strength to these hook frames."

outer edge' of the web 21 is manua as, shown to clear the head 1' when the members.

are brought together.

All-tension strains. are taken' up'by the"hookframes"of the members. Whenjthe members are coupled together,the front edge of web 21 is against" the headl, and the" outer-faces of the hook ends 4 and 5 are against the walls 23 and 24 and all push or compression strains are taken up by these members. The web memher and the hook frames 2 and 3, between which'it. engages, resist all torsional strains and also resist lateral bending, There is when they are coupled together. This self-' uncoupling rotation, however, is prevented by the'conduit pipes which prevent sufficient relative rotation of coupllng members to f a llowuncoupling thereof. Such uncoupling 1 movement can, however, be positively preyented by means of a pin 27 passing through openin s 28in the hook frames 2 and 3 and throu opening29 in web 21. This pin may e an ordinary spring pin which can readily be slipped into place after the members have become cou led. This pin connecbe of more use in well drilling;- for example, where the rods are rotion, however, would hated and, must be .kept in perfect alinement. The pin would also be necessary where the couplings are used for connecting together '25.

flexible members,.such as sections of rope, chain or thelike.

Couplings of this class are usually subjected todirt which will readily fill in corers and tend to preventperfect coupling.

To revent accumulationof dirt between the 'hoo ends and the engaging walls, I cut .away the web 21' between the hook ends 14 and 15 and 'the opposite section of walls 23 and 24, leaving thus an opening 30 in which dirt will not readily stick, and which allows any dirt which may have accumulated there- 'in to be quickly removed. The point 31 of the web 21 is also rounded to prevent compression of dirt between this end and the face of head 1 when the coupling members are brought to; coupling position. It will also be noticed thatwhen the members are coupled they form a substantial cylindrical structure, the outer edges of the heads beingrounded and therefore very little resistance is-ofi'ered by the coupling to passage through conduit pipe. The heads be1ng also of larger diameter than the neck portions the rods, usually of wood, will not touch the conduit walls and will therefore be protected against abrasion and wear. The coupling members are in the rm of integral castings of any'suitable metal.

I therefore produce a coupling which is of.

simple, inexpensive design but at thev same time very efiicient for withstanding all the strains to which couplings of this class are apt to be subjected. .The members when once coupled together can be readily locked against any self-disconnection which enables the coupling to be used for connecting together any members, whether rigid or flexible. Dirt can not accumulate and clog the parts so that complete and proper coupling is always assured.

' I desire to secure by Letters Patent the following claims:

1. In a coupling comprising two members, the combination of the head part 1 of one member, parallel extensions 2 and 3 from said head part forming groove 22 and terminating in hook ends 1 and 5 respectively, the head part 11 of the companion member, extensions 12 and 13 from said' head 11 terminating in hook ends 14; and 15 for engagement with hook ends 4 and 5 of the other member, web 21 extending from the head 11 between and beyond the hook ends 1+1, 15, said web entering the groove 22 between the extensions 2 and 3 of the first member for guiding the hook endslinto engagement with each other. a 2. In a coupling comprising two members, the combination of the head part 1 of one member, parallel extensions 2 and 3 from said head part forming groove 22 and terminating in hook ends 4: and 5 respectively, the head part 11 of the companion member, extensions 12 and 13 from said head 11 terminating in hook ends 14 and 15 for engagement with hook ends 4 and 5 of the other member, web 21 extending from the head 11 between and beyond the hook ends 14:, 15, said web entering the groove 22 between the extensions 2 and 30f the first member for guiding the hook ends into engagement with each other, there being openings 28 through the extensions 2, 3, and the opening 29 through the web 21, and a locking pin 27 engaging in said openings for 100 positively locking the said members together.

3. In a coupling comprising two members, the combination of a head part of one of the members, parallel extensions from said head 105 part terminating in hook ends at right angles to the extension s a head part for the companion member, parallel extensions from said head part terminating in hook ends at right angles to the said extensions, a web 110 extending from said head part of the second member between and beyond the hook extensions of said member, said web entering between the hook ends and extensionsv of the first member to guide the hook ends into en- 115 gag'ement with each other, the web being cut away in the bend of thehook extension from the second member to leave an opening for preventing the accumulation of dirt.

In .witness whereof, I have hereunto set THOMAS W. CHRISTIAN.

Witnesses:

CHARLES J. SCHMIDT, GEORGE E. HroHAM. 

